ABC’s The Rookie follows John Nolan, who is played by actor Nathan Fillion, pursuing his dreams of becoming a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department after a life-changing incident. Joining the force as a 40-year-old rookie, he is determined to prove to his colleagues that he’s got what it takes to be a solid and productive member of the force.
The Rookie has also followed several journeys of other cast members’ characters, including Officer Lucy Chen, played by actress Melissa O’Neil. Over the last seven seasons, she’s evolved from a rookie to a confident member of the LAPD, even serving as a training officer for new recruits. Fans have also loved watching her will they/won’t they love story with Officer Tim Bradford portrayed by actor Eric Winter.
With the news that The Rookie was given the green light for Season 8, Melissa has promised that she isn’t going anywhere. She’s even shared some secrets on set and what it’s like working with her cast.
The Rookie’s Melissa O’Neil Tells Fans What It’s Really Like Working On Set
Getting to play a police officer certainly sounds like an exciting role, and actress Melissa O’Neil gave fans some inside scoop on what it’s like on the set of the fan-favorite show, The Rookie. Having starred in the hit ABC drama since it first aired in 2018 as Officer Lucy Chen, Melissa answered a few compelling questions from her fans on Instagram.
One question that fans of The Rookie really wanted to know was what Melissa would do in between shooting scenes? Does she practice her lines with her co-star and onscreen love interest? Or does she use that free time to head over to craft services for a quick snack?
Melissa admitted that during the limited time she had between takes, she liked to capture funny moments of her cast mates.
“If I don’t have a great deal to tend to character-wise… I like capturing random, silly moments or watching the crew do what they do best.”
That’s certainly one cool way of using her free time. After starring on the show for seven seasons, we could assume that Melissa has a ton of outtakes and hilarious moments on her phone. However, she also shared that while the cast may have a lot of fun working alongside each other, they also know how to get things done.
She added, “We move very swiftly on The Rookie, and it’s a minor (major) miracle that they accomplish what they do in the amount of time they’re given.”
Melissa Has No Plans To Leave The Beloved Show
During that same Q&A, Melissa was also asked who was the “parent” on set. Having spent so many years working alongside her castmates, which include Nathan Fillion (John Nolan), Eric Winter (Tim Bradford), and Richard T. Jones (Wade Grey), she explained that they all lean on each other for support.
She posted a photo from the set, posing alongside the three men in their police uniforms, and wrote:
“We have a pretty big cast and turn to each other for all sorts of things, but I would say that depending on what’s going on – these three gentlemen are frequently turned to and leaned on by everyone for their leadership, insight and feedback.”
The Rookie Cast
Character
Nathan Fillion
John Nolan
Alyssa Diaz
Angela Lopez
Richard T. Jones
Wade Grey
Melissa O’Neil
Lucy Chen
Eric Winter
Tim Bradford
Mekia Cox
Nyla Harper
Shawn Ashmore
Wesley Evers
Jenna Dewan
Bailey Nune
Lisseth Chavez
Celina Juarez
That should certainly hint that Melissa is staying put in her role as Officer Lucy Chen. Speaking to the Calgary Herald, she shared that her own life mirrored that of her characters as she’s also gone through a lot of “transformation.”
“Through the seasons, Lucy Chen has gone through quite an evolution. I was one of the lucky ones because I got to occupy a character that began in a rookie role, so she has had a lot of transformation through the years, both professionally and personally, and there’s a lot of reflection of that in my own life as well.”
Melissa continued, “I started the show in my 20s, I’m well into my 30s at this point. I had just recently moved to Los Angeles for the job. So, I was also a rookie in this city. I learned how to drive on this job. I didn’t have my license before. They didn’t know that. They probably wouldn’t have hired me had they known. It’s been quite the journey.”
The Rookie Has Been Renewed For Season 8
On April 3, ABC announced that The Rookie would be renewed for an eighth season. But, that shouldn’t come as a surprise as the seventh season saw an all-time record high in viewership, specifically its March 25th episode, titled “Speed,” per Collider. The outlet reported that “The episode’s total of 8.25 million viewers is the most the show has amassed after three days since January 2023, during its fifth season.”
The Rookie’s leading star, Nathan, shared the good news with his fans over on Instagram. Sharing a video that sees all the show’s main stars, he captioned it:
“I’ve been around long enough to know how truly challenging and rare it is to have a long running show. Thank you all for sticking around for these 7 seasons- it’s because of you that we are announcing season 8!! Congratulations to @alexihawley and the wonderful team that puts this show together. I am so very proud to work alongside all of you. Let’s do this! #therookie”
Fans were thrilled to hear that their beloved show would be returning. The comment section on Nathan’s post was quickly filled with excitement, as people congratulated him and the rest of the cast. “Congratulations! The cast, writers and crew truly deserve this. ❤️👏👏,” a fan wrote.
“[H]onestly one of if not my favorite show, sometimes [I] get bored and just restart from the beginning lol. definitely my comfort show,” another comment read. “Crazy to see how much this show has grown! Well deserved! So excited for Season 8 👏🏼,” a fan said.
Seeing that Nathan shared a video of all of his current cast mates, it’s highly suggested that they will all be making a return for Season 8. While it’s still too early for any additional details on the upcoming season, fans can continue to tune in and watch new episodes on the current seventh season on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.
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